Iraq

World News

Iraq Prime Minister Finally Bows To Protesters Demands, Agrees To Resign

8:03am December 01, 2019

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

After hundreds of demonstrators were killed by Iraqi forces, Adel Abdul Mahdi announced he will step down as the country's leader. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to Mahdi's advisor, Laith Kubba.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara, Turkey, in May.

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Iraq's Prime Minister Resigns After Weeks Of Anti-Government Protests

9:55am November 29, 2019

by Scott Neuman

Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who first offered to step down a month ago without a timetable, said he would demand that parliament accept his resignation.

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Dozens Of Protesters Shot And Killed By Iraqi Security Forces

5:10am November 29, 2019

by Steve Inskeep

Thursday was among the bloodiest days since protests resumed last month. More than 300 have been killed in that span. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks to New York Times Baghdad bureau chief Alissa Rubin.

Iraqi demonstrators take cover from security forces behind trash cans during clashes in the city of Karbala on Thursday.

World News

In Iraq, Iranian Consulate Torched And Security Forces Fire On Protesters

4:47pm November 28, 2019

by Jackie Northam

More than two dozen protesters in Iraq have been killed since Wednesday, and the worst violence has been in the country's south. It's a growing display of anger over Iran's role in Iraqi politics.

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence arrive with turkey to serve to U.S. troops at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019.

Vice President Pence Makes Surprise Visit To Iraq

11:35am November 23, 2019

by Ayesha Rascoe

The vice president and second lady flew to an air base in Iraq to greet U.S. troops ahead of Thanksgiving. At the base Pence spoke with Iraq's prime minister by phone because of security concerns.

Khazaal Salih mourns his son, Abbas Salih, a medic who was shot and killed while he was treating a wounded protester in Baghdad. "By God, my son did nothing wrong," says Salih.

World News

'He Helped Save People And You Killed Him': Iraqi Dad Mourns Son Killed In Protests

12:02pm November 20, 2019

by Jane Arraf

"By God, my son did nothing wrong," says Khazaal Salih. His son, Abbas, a medic, was killed while treating a wounded protester. More than 300 Iraqis have been killed during protests in recent weeks.

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Aid workers dish up rice and stew to refugees at the Gawilan camp in northern Iraq. The camp has accommodated nearly 2,000 new arrivals in the past month.

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Syrian Kurdish Refugees Say Kurdish Forces Tried To Prevent Them From Fleeing To Iraq

7:09pm November 07, 2019

by Fatma Tanis

"They told us, even if you stand here for 100 years, we are not going to let you cross," one refugee who made it to an Iraqi camp tells NPR. Many have resorted to paying smugglers to help them cross.

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Demonstrators in Baghdad perch on top of an abandoned high-rise overlooking Tahrir Square.

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'They Have Stolen Everything From Us': Iraq's Anti-Government Protests Continue

12:58pm November 05, 2019

by Jane Arraf

Much of the protesters' anger is directed at Iran and at corrupt Iraqi politicians. "Parliament is just mafias and corrupt parties — all of them came to destroy this country," says one protester.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, seen earlier this year during a diplomatic visit to Berlin, has faced massive protests recently calling for his resignation.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Set To Step Down Amid Swell Of Anti-Government Protest

12:17pm October 31, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

President Barham Salih said Thursday that the premier, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, has agreed to resign, though timing is unclear. Abdul-Mahdi's ouster has been a major demand in weeks of widespread protests.

Iraqi youth watch the news about ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death, in Najaf, Iraq, on Sunday.

'We Didn't See A Body': Baghdadi's Death Draws Doubts In Lands Where ISIS Ruled

2:22pm October 29, 2019

In Iraq and Syria, the ISIS leader's death has stirred a mix of responses — from joy to disbelief to dread that the militants will rise again.